One or more culprits set a fire early Saturday morning at the garage of a vacant house off Golden Beach Road, state investigators report, and 45 responding volunteer firefighters battled the blaze for 20 minutes to bring it under control.

The loss from the 5:40 a.m. fire destroying the split-level house owned by Michael LaBeau was estimated at $125,000, according to a notice of investigation filed by deputy state fire marshal John Nelson.

A passing motorist spotted the fire at the rear of the garage, the fire marshal’s office reports, and the Mechanicsville, Hollywood, Hughesville, Benedict, Waldorf, La Plata, Bel Alton and Baden firefighters were dispatched to the scene.

The fire marshal’s office requested that anyone with information about the incident call the agency at 443-550-6833.